Sewing machine



March 24,1953 Y RS I 2,632,60

SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1951 M4 new ,4. Ayess 14 I if INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES SEWING MACHINE ApplicationSeptember 8, 1951, Serial No. 245,734

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a sewing machine and more particularly to animproved and novel bobbin winder mechanism for such a machine.

The bobbin winder mechanisms usually in cluded in sewing machines aresuch that when the mechanisms are used to wind bobbins it is necessaryas a rule to disconnect or unclutch the hand wheel of the sewing machinewith respect to the main horizontal shaft that is rotatably mountedv inthe horizontal arm of the sewing machine head. Inasmuch as it has beennecessary to provide clutch means between the hand wheel and the mainshaft there has resulted the need for clearance between the main shaftand the hand wheel hole in the sewing machine head to provide clearancefor the free running of the main shaft when the hand Wheel is unclutchedtherefrom. This condition has resulted in eccentricity of the hand wheelwhen it is reclutched to the main shaft, wherefore the relatively largemass of the hand wheel rotating eccentrically to the main shaft producessubstantial vibration in the sewing machine head. An object of theinvention is to provide a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machineof such character that the hand wheel may be permanently mounted withprecision and concentricity on the main shaft, thus obviating the use ofa clutch mechanism between the hand wheel and the main shaft with aresultant cost saving as to the clutch parts and their assembly and alsoeliminating vibration in the head of the sewing machine which would becaused by an eccentrical- 1y rotating hand wheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bobbin windermechanism for a sewing machine which is simple in construction,efiicient in operation and wherein the bobbin can be quickly and easilymounted in bobbin winding position and operatively connected to thepower source of the sewing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bobbin winder mechanismfor a sewing machine which includes novel and efiicient means foroperatively positioning the bobbin on the mechanism for windingoperations and for automatically disconnecting the bobbin from the powersource of the mechanism when the predetermined amount of thread has beenwound on the bobbin.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a sewingmachine of the type wherein the power source is operatively connected tothe hand wheel through a friction driving member in contact with thehand wheel, improved and OFFICE 2 novel mechanism for winding a bobbinand wherein provision is included for automatically dis-. connecting thedrive to the friction member when the bobbin is positioned for windingoperation and for automatically reconnecting the friction member withits drive when the wound bobbin is removed from the mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bobbin winder mechanismhaving an improved and novel means for automatically operativelydisconnecting the bobbin from the power source when the predeterminedand desired amount of thread has been wound upon the bobbin.

Further and additional objects and advantages not hereinbefore referredto will become apparent during the description of an embodiment of theinvention which is to follow.

Referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating said embodiment ofthe invention Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a sewing machinehead of the type employing an outside electric motor as a power sourceand which motor is operatively connected to the hand wheel of the sewingmachine by means of a friction member driven from the motor shaft; theform of mechanism embodying the present invention being shown mounted onthe motor shaft and illustrated partly in section and partly in topplan, the bobbin being omitted in this View.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view taken looking from the right hand sideof Fig. 1 with the bobbin being shown applied to the motor shaft and thefeeler finger of the bobbin drive release device shown in threedifferent positions.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to the sectional portion of Fig. 1but showing the relationship of the parts after the bobbin has beenpositioned for the winding operation and the friction member whichdrives the hand wheel has been operatively disconnected from the motorshaft.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3 with thebracket of the bobbin drive release device detached from the motor and aportion of one flange of the bobbin shown in section and illustrates therelationship of the parts after the control feeler has been moved by thethread to its outermost position to operative- 1y disconnect the bobbinwith respect to the motor shaft.

Fig. 5 is a detached elevational view of the control feeler finger, thebracket, and associated parts of the bobbin drive release device, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the bobbin drive release device partlyin section and partly in plan, with the section taken substantially online 3 68 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The sewing machine head or gooseneck illustrated comprises the usualvertically extending standard In supported by the sewing machine bed I Iand having at its upper end the integral horizontally extending arm l2.The sewing machine head rotatably mounts in suitable bearings ahorizontal main shaft l3 extending lengthwise of the arm I2 of the headand having permanently fixed thereto in precise concentricity therewitha hand wheel M. The rear side of the standard It has secured thereto abracket i5 to which is pivotally connected the supporting arm l6 that issecured to and mounts the electric drive motor H for the sewing machine.It will be understood that the drive motor due to its pivotal mountingcan be moved toward and away from the sewing machine head and isnormally urged toward the sewing machine head by spring means, notillustrated, but well known so that the friction driving member orpulley 8 is firmly pressed against the periphery of the hand wheel I4 todrive the same and the sewing mechanism of the machine.

The sewing machine thus far described is common and well understood inthe art, except that the hand wheel I4 is permanently attached to themain shaft IS in precise concentricity therewith and there is nonecessity for clutching and unclutching these parts, and hence it is notbelieved necessary to describe in greater detail the portions of thesewing machine already referred to except the friction driving member orpulley l8.

This member or pulley I8 comprises a metal inner cylinder l9 on theperiphery of which is secured a friction outer and driving cylinderwhich preferably is formed of soft rubber adhered or secured to theinner cylinder IS. The inner cylinder l8 fits upon but is rotatablerelative to an elongated sleeve 2| that is fixed to the shaft 22 of themotor I? by suitable means as, for instance, by the setscrew 23. Thesleeve 2| is provided with a slot 24 preferably milled in the sleeve andextending axially thereof inwardly from its outer end.

A lever 25 is located in the slot 24 and has an angularly disposedportion 26 extending into a recess in the motor shaft 22 and wherein itis pivotally connected to the motor shaft by a pivot pin 21. The lever25 is provided at its free end with a driving detent or lug portion 28projecting radially with respect to the sleeve 2| and shaft 22 andadapted to engage in an axial slot 29 milled in the inner metal sleeveI9 of the friction driving member or pulley IS. A spring 38 is housed ina recess in the motor shaft 22 and acts on the lever 25 so as normallyto urge said lever outwardly to engage the driving lug 28 of the leverin the slot 29 of the friction member or pulley |8 to operativelyconnect said member with the motor shaft 22, wherefore the motor willrotate the member l8 and. the latter will drive the hand wheel I 4 andthe sewing machine mechanism.

The sleeve 2| outwardly of the friction driving member l8 has a portionof reduced diameter providing an external annular shoulder and on suchportion is a driving disk 3| engaging said external shoulder and havinga pressed driving fit on the said reduced portion of the sleeve 2|.

The driving disk 3| mounts on one side thereof and near itscircumference a driving pin 32 the purpose of which will later bepointed out. It will be apparent that the driving disk 3| will 4 at alltimes rotate with the sleeve 2| when the latter is being rotaed by themotor shaft 22.

It will be noted that when the lever '25 is in its normal outwardposition under the action of the spring 30 with the lug 28 engaged inthe slot 29 of the friction driving member l8 that then said diskextends into a notch 33 formed in the lever 25 intermediate the drivinglug 28 and that portion of the lever having the curved upper edgeindicated in the drawings at 33a.

The bobbin to be wound by the mechanism is indicated generally at 34 inFigs. 2, 3 and 4 and is of usual construction in that it comprises a hub35 and spaced parallel disk-like flanges 38, one of which is providednear its circumference with an opening 31. When it is desired to windthe bobbin 34 all that need be done is to position the same upon thereduced portion of the sleeve 2| until the driving pin 32 of the disk 3|engages in the opening 37 in the one flange of the bobbin. In thuspositioning the bobbin upon the sleeve 2| the hub 35 of the bobbinengages the curved upper edge 33a of the lever 25 and presses the latterdownwardly about its pivot and against the action of the spring 30 andradially inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the positionshown in Fig. 2, at which latter time the driving lug 28 of the leverhas moved out of the slot 29 of the friction member or pulley l8 and thelatter is operatively disconnected from the sleeve 2| and the motorshaft '22 and hence when the motor I1 is energized rotation will not beimparted to the member or pulley l8 and therethrough to the hand wheell4. However, at this time rotation is imparted to the driving disk 3|and since the driving pin 32 is in engagement with the opening 3! of thebobbin flange the bobbin will be operatively connected to the sleeve 2-|and motor I! to be rotated there by.

From the description of an embodiment of the invention as thus far setforth it will have been noted that when the bobbin is operativelypositioned on the sleeve 2| to be driven thereby from the motor shaftthat automatically the friction driving member or pulley I8 isoperatively disconnected from the motor shaft and hence imparts norotation to the hand wheel M. This operative disconnection of thefriction driving member or pulley 8 occurs automatically whenever theoperator positions the bobbin upon the sleeve 2| with the driving pin 32of the disk 3| extending into the opening 31 in the one flange of thebobbin. Consequently it is not necessary to unclutch the hand wheel Mwith respect to the main shaft l3 of the sewing machine when the bobbinwinding operation is performed and therefore said hand wheel can bepermanently secured to the main shaft |3 in precise concentricitytherewith and the parts forming the usual clutch arrangement between thehand wheel Hi and the main shaft |3 eliminated together with the cost ofthe same and the cost of assembling such parts.

It is desirable in a bobbin winder mechanism to provide means forterminating the winding operation automatically when the predeterminedand proper amount of thread has been wound on the bobbin. The presentinvention contemplates a novel and efficient bobbin drive release devicefor this purpose and which device will now be described.

The bobbin drive release device comprises a feeler or thread sensing armor finger 38 shown as a flat metal strip or strap and having at one enda hub portion 39 rockably and slidably mounted upon a stub shatt whichhas one end fixedly secured to the leg 4] of a bracket 42 which, forpurposes of illustration, is shown here as substantially a U-ehapedbracket. This bracket 42 has its other leg 43 provided at its outer orfree end with a laterally disposed attaching portion 44 which is shownas fixedly secured to the housing of the motor i l or which could besecured to any other suitable securing surface as, for instance, therear side of the standard In or to the bed of the machine.

.The arm 4| of the bracket 42 is provided at its free end with alaterally disposed portion having therein a recess 46 through whichextends the feeler arm or finger 38. The recess 46 has its inner end orwall provided with straight parallel portions 41 and 48 interconnectedby an inclined or c amming portion 49, it being noted that the straightportion 47 is longer than the straight portion 48. The stub shaft 40 isprovided at its outer end with a head and a torsion compression spring5| is mounted on the shaft 40 and connected to the head so and the hub39 of the feeler finger or arm 38 and said spring functions to slide androck the hub 39 on the shaft 40 normally to a position where the feelerarm 38 is in contact with the straight surface 41 of the recess 4b inthe portion 4 5 of the bracket 42 as is clearly indicated in Fig. l. Theposition just referred to is the normal position which the feeler arm 38occupies and which is indicated at a and in full lines in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to mount a bobbin on the sleeve 2! for a windingoperation the operator depresses the finger 52 extending from the hub 39of the feeder arm to rock said arm from position a to dash line positiona, at which latter position it is located at the other extremity of therecess 46 and in engagement with the straight portion 48 thereof and isclear of the path of the bobbin as the latter is telescoped upon thesleeve 2| to position it so the driving pin 32 will engage in theopening 31 of the bobbin flange. As soon as the bobbin has been thuspositioned the operator releases the downward pressure upon the finger52 and the spring 5! acts to rock the feeler arm from position a back tonormal position a at which time the feeler arm is located between theflanges of the bobbin and adjacent to the hub 35 of the bobbin and incontact with the inner bobbin flange containing the opening 37 and withthe straight portion 4! of the inner wall of the recess 45..

When the motor i! is energized and winding rotation is imparted to thebobbin 34 the feelerarm 38 contacts the thread 53 as it is wound on thebobbin and as the thread builds up it movesthe feel'er arm again theaction of the spring 5i. During the first part of this movement of thefeeler arm it is in contact with the straight portion 41 of the recessin the part 45 of the bracket and has merely rocking movement. Then asthe wound thread increases in diameter the feeler arm 38 comes incontact with the inclined portion or surface 49 of the recess 46 andthis causes the feeler arm as it isfurther rocked by the increas ingdiameter of the wound thread to also have outward movement axially ofthe stub shaft 4 and against the action of the spring 5! until thefeele'r arm is brought into contact with the other or outer flange ofthe bobbin. The outward movement of the feeler arm imparted by theincli'ned portion 49 has anamplitude indicated by dash lines b and c orFig. 6. The length of the inclined or camming portion 49 of the recess46 is such that coincident with the feeler arm reaching the outer end ofthe portion 49 it is exerting axial pressure on the outer flange of thebobbin and hence moves the bobbin axially sufliciently far to disengagethe driving pin 32 from the opening 31 in the inner flange of thebobbin, whereupon the operative driving connection between the bobbinand sleeve 2| is interrupted and further rotation of the bobbin isterminated.

The function just referred to occurs when the feeler arm is in positiona indicated in Fig. 2 and clearly shown in Fig. 4 and it will beunderstood that the lengths of the straight portion 4'1 and the inclinedportion 49 of the recess 46 in the bracket 42 are such that thisposition is reached when the desired amount of thread has been woundupon the bobbin. Consequently it will be seen that when the desiredamount of thread is wound upon the bobbin the driving connection to thebobbin is automatically interrupted by the feeler arm exerting axialpressure outwardly on the outer flange of the bobbin to disengage thedriving pin 32 from the opening 3'! in the inner flange of the bobbin.The operator now in order to remove the bobbin depresses the finger 52to move the feeler arm from position a to positiona whereupon the woundbobbin can be slipped 01? of the end of the sleeve 2|. When this hasbeen done the finger 52 is released and the feeler arm is moved by thespring 5| automatically from position a through position a to positiona. Also the removal of the bobbin has automatically operativelyreconnected the friction driving member or pulley I8 to the sleeve 2|and the motor shaft 22 as the driving lug 28 of the lever 25 engages inthe slot 29 and now energization of the motor I? drives the sewingmechanism of the machine through the pulley I8 and hand wheel l4.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described, it will be understood the invention is not to be limitedthereto and may take various modified formscoming within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A bobbin Winder mechanism comprising a source of power including adriving shaft, bobbin driving means carried by said shaft, a bobbinmounted on said shaft, said driving mean-s and said bobbin havingcooperating interengaging portions operatively connecting said means andbobbin, rockable and laterally movable means cooperating with the bobbinand rockable in response to the thread wound upon the bobbin, andcamming means acting on said last named means during its rockingmovement to move the latter laterally when a predetermined amount ofthread has been wound upon the bobbin to positively move the bobbin todisengage the cooperating portions of said bobbin and said drivingmeans.

2. A bobbin winder mechanism comprising a source of power including adriving shaft, bobbin driving means carried by said shaft, a bobbinmounted on said shaft, said driving means being provided with a pin andsaid bobbin being provided with an opening receiving said pin tooperatively connect said driving means and bobbin, rockable andlaterally movable means cooperating with the bobbin and rockable inresponse to the thread wound upon the bobbin, and camming means actingon said last named means during its rocking movement to move the latterlaterally when a predetermined amount of thread has been Wound upon thebobbin to positively move the bobbin to disengage said pin and openingto interrupt the driving connection between the driving means and thebobbin.

3. A bobbin winder mechanism comprising a source of power including adriving shaft, a driving disk fixedly carried by said shaft and providedwith a pin extending axially of the shaft, a bobbin mounted on saidshaft and having spaced flanges with the flange adjacent to said drivingdisk provided with an opening receiving said pin to drivingly connectsaid bobbin, disk and shaft, rockable means extending between theflanges of the bobbin and rockable in response to the thread wound uponthe bobbin, said rockable means being movable in a direction axially ofsaid shaft, and camming means acting on said rockable means during itsrocking movement to impart said axial movement thereto when apredetermined amount of thread has been wound upon the bobbin topositively act on the other flange of the bobbin to move the bobbinaxially of the shaft to disengage said pin from said opening and tointerrupt the driving connection to the bobbin.

4. A bobbin winder mechanism as defined in claim 3 and wherein saidrockable and axially movable means comprises a lever arm extendingbetween the flanges of the bobbin and having at one end a hub portion, astub shaft extending through said hub portion and supporting said leverarm for rocking movement and axial move ment thereon, a spring acting onsaid hub portion to resist rocking and axial movements in one directionand acting to maintain said lever arm normally in a predeterminedposition, said camming means including a bracket mounting said stubshaft and having a portion provided with a recess through which saidlever arm extends and the inner end of which recess has straightparallel wall portions interconnected by an inclined camming wallportion, said lever arm being rocked in response to the thread woundupon the bobbin and against the action of said spring and being movedaxially by said camming wall portion from engagement with the bobbinflange having said opening into engagement with the other bobbin flangeto exert axial pressure thereon and positively move said bobbin todisengage said pin from said opening.

5. In a sewing machine of the type wherein the head includes a mainshaft for operating the sewing mechanism, a hand wheel fixed on saidmain shaft, a source of power including a driving shaft, and a frictiondriving member on said driving shaft and engaging said hand wheel todrive the latter and said main shaft; the improvement which comprisesmeans operatively associated with said driving shaft for mounting abobbin thereon in driven relationship thereto, movable means carried bysaid driving shaft, said movable means and said friction member havingcooperating portions normally interengaged and operatively connectingsaid driving shaft and friction member, said movable means having aportion engageable by the bobbin when the latter is mounted on thedriving shaft to move said movable means and operatively disengage saidcooperating portions of said movable means and said friction member tooperatively disconnect the latter from said driving shaft.

6. In a sewing machine of the type wherein the head includes a mainshaft for operating the sewing mechanism, a hand wheel fixed on saidmain shaft, a source of power including a driving shaft, and a frictiondriving member on said driving shaft and engaging said hand wheel todrive the latter and said main shaft; the improvement which comprisesmeans operatively associated with said driving shaft for mounting abobbin thereon in driven relationship thereto, a lever pivotally carriedby said driving shaft and extending axially thereof, said lever and saidfriction member having cooperating portions engageable to operativelyconnect said driving shaft and friction member, spring means carried bysaid driving shaft and acting on said lever to normally engage saidcooperating portions, said lever having a portion engageable by thebobbin when the latter is-mounted on the driving shaft to rock saidlever against the action of said spring and operatively disengage saidcooperating portions of said lever and said friction member tooperatively disconnect the latter from the driving shaft.

7. In a sewing machine of the type wherein the head includes a mainshaft for operating the sewing mechanism, a hand wheel fixed on saidmain shaft, a source of power including a driving shaft, and a frictiondriving member on said driving shaft and engaging said hand wheel todrive the latter and said main shaft; the improvement which comprises anelongated sleeve mounted on and secured to said driving shaft, afriction driving member freely rotatable on said sleeve, said sleeveoutwardly of said friction driving member having a portion upon which abobbin can be mounted in driven relationship thereto, said sleeve beingprovided with a slot extending axially thereof from the outer end of thesleeve to within said friction driving member, the inner circumferenceof said friction driving member being provided with an axially extending slot communicating with the inner end of the slot in saidsleeve, a lever arm extending axially of the sleeve and driving shaftand having its outer end pivotally connected to the driving shaft andits inner end provided with a lug adapted to engage in the slot in saidfriction driving member, spring means acting on said lever arm tonormally maintain said lug in engagement in said slot in said frictiondriving member to operatively interconnect said driving shaft, sleeveand friction driving member, said lever arm having a portion normallyprojecting outwardly of the slot in said sleeve at th portion thereofupon which the bobbin is mounted, wherefore when the bobbin is mountedupon the sleeve it acts to depress said lever arm against said springmeans to disengage said lug from the slot in the friction driving memberto operatively disconnect said friction driving member from said sleeveand driving shaft.

8. In a, sewing machine of the type wherein the head includes a mainshaft for operating the sewing mechanism, a hand wheel fixed on saidmain shaft, a source of power including a driving shaft, and a frictiondriving member on said driving shaft and engaging said hand wheel todrive the latter and said main shaft; the improvement which comprises,in combination, means on said driving shaft for mounting a bobbinthereon, a driving element rotatable with said driving shaft, saidelement and said bobbin having cooperating interengaging portionsforming a driving connection between the element and bobbin, movablemeans carried by said driving shaft, said movable means and saidfriction member having cooperating portions normally interengaged andoperatively connecting said driving shaft and friction member, saidmovable means having a portion engageable by the bobbin when the latteris mounted on the driving shaft to move said movable means andoperatively disengage said cooperating portions of said movable meansand said friction member to operatively disconnect the latter from saiddriving shaft, a rockable and laterally movable arm extending betweenthe flanges of th bobbin and rockable in response to the thread woundupon the bobbin, and means cooperating with said arm and acting topositively move the latter laterally when a predetermined amount ofthread has been wound upon the bobbin With such movement of said armimparting axial movement to the bobbin to disengage the cooperatingportions of the driving element and bobbin.

9. In a bobbin winder for a sewing machine, in combination, a powersource, a sewing machine including driving mechanism, connectable anddisconnec'table means operatively associating said power source and saidmechanism, a spindle rotated by said power source, means forautomatically disconnecting said first named means to terminate theoperative association between said power source and said mechanism whena bobbin is placed on said spindle, disengageable means carried by saids indle and positively operatively connecting the bobbin to the spindleto be driven thereby, thread sensin means adapted to engage the threadwound on the bobbin, and means cooperating with said thread sensingmeans and automatically disengaging said disengageable means toopera'tively disconnect said spindle and bobbin when the desired amountof thread has been wound on the bobbin.

1(). A bobbin winder mechanism comprising a source of power including adriving shaft, bobbin driving means carried by said shaft and providedwith a portion adapted to interengage with a portion of a bobbin mountedon said shaft to operatively connect said driving means and bobbin,rockable and laterally movable means adapted to cooperate with thebobbin and rockable in response to the thread wound upon the bobbin andcomprising a lever arm adapted to extend between the flanges of thebobbin and having at one end a hub portion, a stub shaft extendingthrough said hub portion and supporting said lever arm for rockingmovement and axial movement thereon, a

spring acting on said hub portion to resist rockmg and axial movementsin one direction and acting to maintain said lever arm normally in apredetermined position; and camming means acting on said lever armduring its rocking movement to move the latter laterally when apredetermined amount of thread has been wound upon the bobbin andincluding a bracket mountin said stub shaft and having a portionprovided with a recess through which said lever arm extends, with theinner end of said recess havin straight parallel wall portionsinterconnected by an inclined camming wall portion, said lever arm beinmoved laterally by said cammin Wall portion from engagement with onebobbin flange into engagement with the other bobbin flange to exertpressure thereon and positively move said bobbin axially to disengagetherefrom the interengaging portion of the bobbin driving means.

11. In a sewing machine bobbin winder, a rotatable shaft, bobbin drivingmeans carried by said shaft and having a portion adapted to interengagewith a portion of a bobbin when the latter is positioned on and is moveda predetermined distance in one direction axially of said shaft, and arockable and laterally movable thread sensing means adapted to engagethe thread bein wound on said bobbin to be rocked thereby, and meanscooperating with said thread sensing means for moving the latterlaterally durin its rocking movement to cause it to directly andpositively engage a portion of the bobbin and move the latter axially ofthe shaft in the opposite di-' rection when a predetermined amount ofthread has been wound on the bobbin to disengag said portion of thebobbin driving means from the bobbin.

WALDEMAR A. AYRES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,151,877 Hemleb Aug. 31, 19151,681,559 Stephenson Aug. 21, 1928 1,806,612 COX May 26, 1931 1,848,352Kelso Mar. 8, 193 2,432,138 Colegrove Dec. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 228,625 Switzerland Aug. 18, 1942 246,965Switzerland Nov. 1, 1947

